August 05, 2026
Jakob White is studying what happens when the rubber meets the road in his summer co-op with Bridgestone.
At Mizzou Engineering, students translate their knack for problem solving into exciting and rewarding careers. This summer, sophomore Jakob White is pursuing a cooperative education, or co-op, at Bridgestone America’s Texas Proving Grounds in the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas.
“I’ve always been super interested in endurance racing, IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula One etc.,” he said.
White’s passion for motorsports led him to study mechanical engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology before transferring to Mizzou last spring.
“Mechanical engineering was the most versatile area, but I always had a fascination for aerodynamics,” he said. “When I eventually transferred to Mizzou this past spring, I decided to add aerospace engineering.”
At Bridgestone, White helps set up tests and puts together new equipment that will be used for future tests.
“Every day is different,” he said. “I’m never just sitting at a desk or out in the field doing the same thing every day. This has made this opportunity amazing because it never gets repetitive, and I always look forward to going into work each day.”
White credits Mizzou Engineering with providing him a foundation upon which to build a future career.
“Mizzou Engineering helped me prepare for this co-op through the STEM and engineering courses that taught me the basic math and science I needed, the engineering design process, and the documentation of papers, research etc.,” he said.
In addition to trackside data collection, White is also preparing to participate in test drives.
“The thing I have enjoyed the most so far is by far the driving training, where I’m learning how to control better and at speed, learning how to control oversteer, understeer and more,” he said.
White encourages other engineering students to step outside their comfort zones when pursuing co-ops or internships.
“Don’t be scared about not knowing a lot, and don’t be shy to ask questions,” he said. “All the people you will work with were once in your footsteps.”
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